Thursday Titbits

few interesting news items on this last Thursday of June 2019

1 Now Congress objects to Indian Cricket team’s Orange Jersey. They say BJP is trying to saffronise the country. This all started with the news that Team India will wear Orange jersey  for their match with England on 30^th June 2019, in the ongoing Cricket World Cup. This move by team India has become necessary because of Team England also wears Blue Jersey, and the colour is similar to that of Team India Jersey.. The team India opted for the orange Jersey as International Cricket Council’s (ICC) ruling prevents two teams from wearing the coloured jersey in televised tournament.

The Congress party, however gave a political angle to the move and raised objection over the orange coloured Jersey, and said that Modi govt is trying to saffronise the country. Speaking to news agency ANI, Congress MLA Nadeem Khan from  Maharashtra said ‘this govt has been trying to see and show everything from different angle and colour for the past five years. The govt is trying to lead the country towards saffronisation.

The Samajwadi Party also echoed similar views and said that the  BJP, which has saffron coloured flag, was trying to paint the country saffron. “Modi wants to paint the country saffron” SP Leader Abu Azmi said.

The ICC, however, said ‘that it gave the colour option to  Indian cricket Board (BCCI) and the later chose what they felt went best with the colour combination. The ICC further added that the design for the new jersey has been taken from India’s old T20 jersey which had orange in it. The whole idea is to be different as England also wears a same shade of blue as India.’

I fail to understand these political parties have no other work than criticising the NDA govt for Cricket Team’s jersey colour. Now can someone tell me what is wrong with colour orange for jersey, it is part of the colour scheme of our national flag. Now if BCCI had chosen other colour from the Indian flag (ie green) than all parties like  Congress,  SP and other like  minded parties would have felt so happy obviously, as you know that is the colour linked with Islam religion.

2 Few days back rape convict  Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh ( popularly known as Baba Ram Rahim) applied for 42 day parole to tend his fields, in Sirsa dist. In Haryana. As per Tehsildar’s office he does not have any agricultural land in his name. There are more than 250 acres of land registered in the name of a trust but he is neither the owner nor the cultivator of this land. Haryana’s CM Manohar Lal Khattar said every inmate had the right to apply for parole, but govt will not take any decision which will be against interest of the state. The decision rests with Divisional Commissioner and report is awaited. Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s parole request has been already acknowledged by the Divisional Commissioner, who said the said prisoner was not a hardcore criminal and had not violated any rules in the jail.

This all drama is being enacted as Haryana assembly elections are approaching.. In April also he was denied interim bail by the HC to attend the marriage of his foster daughter. That was just before the  parliamentary elections. That time court has cited law and order situation.

Haryana govt has come under severe criticism for not clearly spelling out is stand this parole application. As per the legal experts, in accordance with Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, Baba Ram Rahim does not fall in the category of hardcore criminals as defined by the Act. Rape coupled with murder or raping a minor girl below 16 years of age, are some of the categories mentioned in the Act, and he does not fall in any of these categories.

Now there are other crimes for  which Baba was  tried. The family of slain Sirsa journalist and victims of castration in Dera headquarters, are clear that they will oppose any parole for Baba Ram Rahim. As per these people, “he is the biggest threat for our families.” One of the complainant in castration case said that Haryana Govt was making his parole an issue at the when the assembly elections are round the corner.

The political parties in the state are treading with caution on the issue of parole plea moved by rape and murder convict Baba Ram Rahim, who is also the head of Dera Sacha Sauda. There are 10,000 to 15,000 voters in each of the 90 assembly constituencies who are also the member of Dera. Most political parties are wary of offending these Dera lovers. Besides this Haryana CM Khattar and his cabinet colleagues Krishanlal Panwar and Anil Vij have publicly supported a convict’s right to parole.

So let us wait and watch, what happens next.

Waiting for your views/comments/feed backs on this blog.

Anil Malik

Mumbai, India

27^th June 2019